Women's Basketball

Breana Bacon | NCAA.com | February 26, 2018

Naismith Watch List narrowed to 10 semifinalists

The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the 10 semifinalists in consideration for the 2018 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year on Monday.

The list of players that remain from the previous watch list includes UCLA point guard Jordin Canada, who earlier this season became the first Pac-12 women's basketball player to score 1,800 points and dish out 700 assists in her career and is the No. 10 Bruins' all-time leader in assists. Joining Canada is Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu, who broke a Division I record with her eighth triple-double back in December.

Also making the list is Baylor’s dominant center Kalani Brown. Brown leads No. 3 Baylor to a 26-1 record, losing only to UCLA on the road, and to the top of the Big 12 standings. Brown is second in the nation in field-goal percentage at 66.9 percent, right behind Oregon's Ruthy Hebard's 67 percent.

Victoria Vivians of No. 2 Mississippi State remains on the list, leading the Bulldogs in scoring this season as her team remains undefeated and at the top of the SEC.

UConn has two players in the final 10 in Katie Lou Samuelson and Gabby Williams.

Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969 to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Citizen Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Award was first given to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983. Former all-time leading scorer and Washington guard Kelsey Plum is the 2017 Citizen Naismith Trophy winner.

Name

School

Class

Position

Conference

Kalani Brown

Baylor

Junior

Center

Big 12

Jordin Canada

UCLA

Senior

Guard

Pac-12

Asia Durr

Louisville

Junior

Guard

ACC

Sabrina Ionescu

Oregon

Sophomore

Guard

Pac-12

Kelsey Mitchell

Ohio State

Senior

Guard

Big Ten

Arike Ogunbowale

Notre Dame

Junior

Guard

ACC

Katie Lou Samuelson

UConn

Junior

Guard/Forward

AAC

Victoria Vivians

Mississippi State

Senior

Guard

SEC

Gabby Williams

UConn

Senior

Forward

AAC

A'ja Wilson

South Carolina

Senior

Forward

SEC

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